THE SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP ACT, 1988 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1.  Short title and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 
3.  Members subject to this Act. 
4.  Constitution of the Group. 
5.  Control, direction, etc. 
6.  Liability for service in and outside India. 
7.  Members of the Group always on active duty. 
8.  Resignation and withdrawal from the post. 
9.  Tenure of service. 
10.  Restrictions respecting right to from associations, freedom of speech, etc. 
11.  Termination of service. 
12.  Appeal. 
13.  Powers and duties conferable on members of the Group. 
14.  Assistance to Group. 
15.  Protection of action taken under this Act. 
16.  Power to make rules. 
17.  Laying of orders and rules. 
18.  Provision as to existing Special Protection Group. 

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THE SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP ACT, 1988 

ACT NO. 34 OF 1988 

[2nd June, 1988.] 

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  constitution  and  regulation  of  an  armed  force  of  the  Union  for 
providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and the 1[former Prime Ministers 
of India and members of  their immediate families] and for matters connected therewith. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follow:— 

1.  Short  title  and  commencement.—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Special  Protection  Group              

Act, 1988.  

(2)  It  shall  come  into  force  on  such  date2  as  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 

Official Gazette, appoint. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(a) “active duty” in relation to a member of the Group means any duty as such member during the 
period when he is posted to physically protect the Prime Minister of India and the members of  3[his 
immediate family or a former Prime Minister and the members of his immediate family], wherever he 
or they may be; 

(b) “Director” means the Director of the Group appointed under sub-section (1) of section 5; 

(c) “Group” means the Special Protection Group constituted under section 4; 

(d)  “member  of  the  Group”  means  a  person  who  has  been  appointed  to  the  Group  by  the 

prescribed authority whether before or after the commencement of this Act; 

(e) “members of immediate family” means wife, husband, children and parents; 

(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(g) “proximate security” means protection provided from close quarters, during journey by road, 
rail,  aircraft,  watercraft  or  on  foot  or  any  other  means  of  transport  and  shall  include  the  places  of 
functions, engagements, residence or halt and shall comprise ring round teams, isolation cordons, the 
sterile zone around, and the rostrum and access control to the person or members of his immediate 
family;  

(h)  all  words  and  expressions  used  and  not  defined  in  this  Act  but  defined  in  the  Indian  Penal 

Code (45 of 1860) shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Code.  

3. Members subject to this Act.—Every member of the Group shall be subject to this Act, wherever 

he may be. 

4. Constitution of the Group.—4[ (1) There shall be an armed force of the Union called the Special 

Protection Group for providing proximate security to,— 

(a)  the  Prime  Minister  and  members  of  his  immediate  family  residing  with  him  at  his  official 

residence; and 

(b) any  former  Prime  Minister  and  such  members  of his immediate  family  as  are  residing  with 
him  at  the  residence  allotted  to  him,  for  a  period  of five  years  from  the  date  he  ceases  to  hold  the 
office of Prime Minister.] 

1. Subs. by Act 48 of 1991, s. 2, for “members of his immediate family” (w.e.f. 25-9-1991). 
2.  1st  August,  1988,  vide  notification  No.  S.O.  735(E),  dated  1st  August,  1988,  See  Gazette  of  India,  Extraordinary,  Part  II,             

sec. 3(ii). 

3. Subs. by Act 48 of 1991, s. 3, for “his immediate family” (w.e.f. 25-9-1991). 
4. Subs. by Act 43 of 2019, s. 2, for sub-section (1) (w.e.f. 10-12-2019). 

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(1A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1),— 

(a) any former Prime Minister or any member of the immediate family of the Prime Minister or 

of a former Prime Minister may decline proximate security; 

1[(b) where the proximate security is withdrawn from  a former Prime Minister, such proximate 
security  shall  also  stand  withdrawn  from  members  of  immediate  family  of  such  former  Prime 
Minister:] 

Provided that where the level of threat faced by any member of the immediate family of a former 
Prime Minister warrants proximate security or any other security, such security shall be provided to 
that member.] 

(2)  Subject  to  the  provisions  of  this  Act, the  Group shall  be  constituted  in such  manner  as  may  be 
prescribed and the terms and conditions of service of the members of the Group shall be such as may be 
prescribed. 

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, any person or any member of any other armed 
force  of  the  Union  may  be  appointed  to  the  Group  by  the  Central  Government  by  a  general  or  special 
order and for such period as may be specified in such order, and the person so appointed shall, during the 
period of his appointment, be deemed to be a member of the Group, and the provisions of this Act shall, 
so far as may be, apply to such person or member. 

5. Control, direction, etc.—(1) The general superintendence, direction and control of the Group shall 
vest in, and be exercised by, the Central Government and subject thereto and to the provisions of this Act 
and the rules, the command and supervision of the Group shall vest in an officer to be appointed by the 
Central Government as the Director of the Group. 

(2) The Director shall, in the discharge of his duties under this Act, be assisted by such number of 
2[Inspectors General, Deputy Inspectors General, Assistant Inspectors General] and other officers as may 
be appointed by the Central Government. 

6. Liability for service in and outside India.—Every member of the Group shall be liable to serve 

in any part of India as well as outside India. 

7.  Members  of  the  Group  always  on  active  duty.—Every  member  of the  Group,  not  on  leave  or 
under  suspension,  shall,  for  all  purposes  of this  Act, be  always  on  active  duty  and  may  at  any  time  be 
employed or deployed in any manner which is consistent with the duties and responsibilities of the Group 
under this Act. 

8. Resignation and withdrawal from the post.—No member of the Group shall be at liberty— 

(a) to resign his appointment during the terms of his engagement; or 

(b) to withdraw himself from all or any of the duties of his appointment,  

except with the previous permission in writing of the prescribed authority. 

9.  Tenure  of  service.—Every  member  of  the  Group  shall  hold  office  during  the  pleasure  of  the 

President. 

10. Restrictions respecting right to from associations, freedom of speech, etc.—(1) No member of 
the Group shall, without the previous sanction in writing of the Central Government or of the prescribed 
authority,— 

(a)  be  a  member  of,  or  be  associated  in  any  way  with,  any  trade  union,  labour  union,  political 

association or with any class of trade unions, labour unions or political associations; or 

1. Subs. by Act 43 of 2019, s. 2, for clause (b) (w.e.f. 10-12-2019). 
2. Subs. by Act 20 of 2003, s. 3, for “Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, Joint Assistant Directors” (w.e.f. 13-3-2003). 

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(b)  be  a  member  of,  or  be  associated  in  any  way  with,  any  society,  institution,  association  or 

organisation that is not of a purely social, recreational or religious nature; or 

(c)  communicate  with  the  press  or  publish  or  cause  to  be  published  any  book,  letter  or  other 
document except where such communication or publication is in the bona fide discharge of his duties 
or is of a purely literary, artistic or scientific character or is of a prescribed nature. 

Explanation.—If any question arises as to whether any society, institution, association or organisation 
is  of  a  purely  social,  recreational  or  religious  nature  under  clause  (b)  or  whether  any  book,  letter  or 
document is a communication or publication in the bona fide discharge of his duties or is a purely literary, 
artistic  or  scientific  character  or  is  of  a  prescribed  nature  under  clause  (c),  the  decision  of  the  Central 
Government thereon shall be final. 

(2)  No  member  of  the  Group  shall  participate  in,  or  address,  any  meeting  or  take  part  in  any 
demonstration organised by any body of persons for any political purposes or for such other purposes as 
may be prescribed. 

11.  Termination  of  service.—The  prescribed  authority  may,  by  order  in  writing,  terminate  the 
appointment of any member of the Group in the public interest and such termination shall be deemed to 
be discharged simpliciter and shall not amount to dismissal or removal. 

12.  Appeal.—(1)  Any  member  of  the  Group  aggrieved  by  an  order  under  section  11  may,  within 
thirty  days  from  the  date  of  such  order,  prefer  an  appeal  to  a  Board  to  be  constituted  by  the  Central 
Government. 

(2) The Board shall consist of such persons as may be prescribed. 

(3) The decision of the Board shall be final and shall not be called in question in any court or tribunal.  

(4) The Board shall have power to regulate its own procedure. 

13. Powers and duties conferable on members of the Group.—The Central Government may, by 
general  or  special  order  published  in  the  Official  Gazette,  direct  that,  subject  to  such  conditions  and 
limitations as may be specified in that order, any member of the Group may exercise or discharge such 
powers or duties as may be specified in the said order for giving effect to the provisions of this Act. 

14.  Assistance  to  Group.—It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  Ministry  and  Department  of  the  Central 
Government or the State Government or the Union territory Administration, every Indian Mission, every 
local or other authority or every civil or military authority to act in aid of the Director or any member of 
the Group whenever called upon to do so in furtherance of the duties and responsibilities assigned to such 
Director or member. 

15. Protection of action taken under this Act.—No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall 
lie against the Group or any member thereof on whom powers have been conferred or duties have been 
imposed under this Act, or any order issued or any rule made thereunder for anything which is in good 
faith done or purported to be done or omitted to be done in pursuance of this Act or any order issued or 
any rule made thereunder or any order issued under any such rule. 

16. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act. 

(2)  In  particular  and  without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  foregoing  power,  such  rules  may 

provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:— 

(a) the manner in which the Group shall be constituted and the terms and conditions of service of 

its members under sub-section (2) of section 4; 

(b) the authorities to be prescribed under section 8, sub-section (1) of section 10 and section 11;  

(c)  the  nature  of  the  communication  or  publication  under  clause  (c)  of  sub-section  (1)  of             

section 10; 

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(d)  the  purposes,  other  than  political  purposes,  for  which  a  person  subject  to  this  Act  shall  not 
participate  in,  or  address,  any  meeting  or  take  part  in  any  demonstration  under  sub-section  (2)  of 
section 10; 

(e) the persons who shall be members of the Board under sub-section (2) of section 12; 

(f) any other matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed. 

17. Laying of orders and rules.—Every order issued under  section 13 and every rule made under 
section 16 shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is issued or made, before each House of Parliament 
while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or 
more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the 
successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the order or the rule or 
both Houses agree that the order or rule should not be made, the order or rule shall thereafter have effect 
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification 
or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that order or 
rule. 

18.  Provision  as  to  existing  Special  Protection  Group.—(1)  The  Special  Protection  Group  in 

existence at the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be the Group constituted under this Act.  

(2) The members of the Special Protection Group in existence at the commencement of this Act shall 

be deemed to have been appointed as such under this Act. 

(3)  Anything  done  or  any  action  taken  before  the  commencement  of  this  Act  in  relation  to  the 
constitution of the Special Protection Group referred to in sub-section (1) and in relation to any person 
appointed, shall be as valid and as effective in law as if such thing or action was done or taken under this 
Act. 

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